How to make your car last forever

[tunafishha]

This is a list of general maintenance tips for new cars or nice cars.

1. Avoid rain. Water is one of the most damaging substance in the world because it dissolves more substances than any other solvent. We tend to overlook that fact. When you drive in rain, dirt carried by water will stick to the under body panels and wheel wells. You cannot remove this dirt because it becomes embedded in the tiny pores of the plastic. Over time this makes your car look older. When you drive in rain, you force water to creep into tiny little cracks and over time this water will rust out screws and metal parts. Don't think yourre all fine and dandy when you're caught in a rain shower.

I have a 2008 Lexus RX400h and almost all of the damages done to this SUV are due to water. My Brake pins have been rusted out by water. My HID headlights had been replaced due to water. The replaced headlight is damaged due to water. The electronics that powers the headlights were all rusted out due to water. Metal parts under the carriage are rusted out due to water. The paint on rims are all peeling.

2. Avoid snow. Salt, water, and dirt all combine to wreck havoc on your car. Besides rust, snow causes paint marring. This is why cars look old after just a years time.

3. Avoid washing your car. I've done some testing and found that the smallest piece of debri will leave huge marring marks. 2 bucket wash system will mar. Waterless wash will mar. So, its best to keep your car away from the elements so that you don't have to wash. If you see those water sprinklers that shoots into the street, go confront the owner and make him pay for your carwash.

5. Avoid the sun. UV rays will break down anything and everything in its way. That includes your skin, clothes, your cars paint, the interior, headlights, plastic trimmings, etc.

The plastic trimmings on my car have all faded. The rear lift gate handle had melted and needed to be replaced. All my headlights are yellow.

6. Have a dedicated beater and a garage queen.

7. Read the manual, listen, and do what it says.


These are all things I wished I had known when I bought my car. Lets keep them cars looking shiny. Good luck, phgits. Also, pls forgive for chitty grammar. Am slightly retard.

[keepitnatty]

Basically don’t drive

[tunafishha]

Basically don’t drive

The ultimate luxury is staying home.

[1QWIK7]

Easy, just keep buying new cars every 5 years or so.

[1slo5oh]

This is a list of general maintenance tips for new cars or nice cars.

1. Avoid rain. Water is one of the most damaging substance in the world because it dissolves more substances than any other solvent. We tend to overlook that fact. When you drive in rain, dirt carried by water will stick to the under body panels and wheel wells. You cannot remove this dirt because it becomes embedded in the tiny pores of the plastic. Over time this makes your car look older. When you drive in rain, you force water to creep into tiny little cracks and over time this water will rust out screws and metal parts. Don't think yourre all fine and dandy when you're caught in a rain shower.

I have a 2008 Lexus RX400h and almost all of the damages done to this SUV are due to water. My Brake pins have been rusted out by water. My HID headlights had been replaced due to water. The replaced headlight is damaged due to water. The electronics that powers the headlights were all rusted out due to water. Metal parts under the carriage are rusted out due to water. The paint on rims are all peeling.

2. Avoid snow. Salt, water, and dirt all combine to wreck havoc on your car. Besides rust, snow causes paint marring. This is why cars look old after just a years time.

3. Avoid washing your car. I've done some testing and found that the smallest piece of debri will leave huge marring marks. 2 bucket wash system will mar. Waterless wash will mar. So, its best to keep your car away from the elements so that you don't have to wash. If you see those water sprinklers that shoots into the street, go confront the owner and make him pay for your carwash.

5. Avoid the sun. UV rays will break down anything and everything in its way. That includes your skin, clothes, your cars paint, the interior, headlights, plastic trimmings, etc.

The plastic trimmings on my car have all faded. The rear lift gate handle had melted and needed to be replaced. All my headlights are yellow.

6. Have a dedicated beater and a garage queen.

7. Read the manual, listen, and do what it says.


These are all things I wished I had known when I bought my car. Lets keep them cars looking shiny. Good luck, phgits. Also, pls forgive for chitty grammar. Am slightly retard.

No wonder you're Red...

[tunafishha]

Easy, just keep buying new cars every 5 years or so.

If you buy a new car every 5 years, your spending 24% of your entire life's net worth, the average being $1.4mil, on cars if the car is 40k. That 1/4 of all your money just on cars. No thnx mang

[1QWIK7]

If you buy a new car every 5 years, your spending 24% of your entire life's net worth, the average being $1.4mil, on cars if the car is 40k. That 1/4 of all your money just on cars. No thnx mang

So make more money.

Cars in general are a terrible waste of money. But we buy them because we're car enthusiasts. The ones that don't give a chit about cars are the ones that drive chitty cars. Or cars for status but actually end up paying more because usually status cars are unreliable as phuck. Thus spending more money on it anyway.

[FreedomPenguin]

Buy a reliable car and take care of it. Pay it off, cheap maintenance. My car cost me like 150 a year in cost.

10 a month insurance

1-2 oil changes a year @ 35 each every 10k miles

Just tires breaks every 80k Miles together.

So monthly just gas and insurance

[Jasonw1178]

An automobile is a rather sensitive technological machine and a very complex machine yet most don't get much better treatment than the average household appliance. As much as they cost and depend on care, you would think that more people would take better care of them but that isn't the case.

Op didn't mention it but one of the biggest issues are oil and fluids. Most vehicles are well over due before they got their oil and filter changed. People put it off. They go where it's fast and cheap. They don't care if the oil is the wrong kind, oil is oil. They neglect it and don't see immediate damage so they figure it really doesn't matter. It's like you don't have a heart attack right after eating fast food, so it must be fine. You don't drink a beer and your liver suddenly fails. You don't smoke and immediately start coughing up lung cancer. However, once the damage has been done, it's too late. Also fuel. People run cheap fuel and build up carbon and then start getting spark knock, which is like beating up your engine with a hammer from inside. Combine this with sludgy oil and that motor won't last long. If you hear what you think sounds like the timing chain clattering or the valves clicking at higher levels of throttle, that's spark knock.

[tunafishha]

Op didn't mention it but one of the biggest issues are oil and fluids. Most vehicles are well over due before they got their oil and filter changed. People put it off. They go where it's fast and cheap. They don't care if the oil is the wrong kind, oil is oil. They neglect it and don't see immediate damage so they figure it really doesn't matter.

I did addressed all of that in tip 7.

Let me tell you a bit about myself. I'm am expert researcher. By that, I don't mean using google. When I seek information, I go directly to the maker that object. That means speaking directly to the engineers. Even so, the info is not accurate because many times they are just trying to sell you a product. To discern between legit info and quackery requires specialized skills. My areas of research preside in automotive, chemistry, electronics, marketing, and business.

All of these tips have been tested and tried on my SUV. The car is an 07 which means that it is 11 years old. That's 11 years of weatherization testing. You can leverage that 11 years of testing and knowledge to keep your car brand new. It come down to a matter of those who listen and those who wont', as with anything in life.

[brianphi]

Lol I have an 08 rx400h as well, absolutely none of the problems you have, and I live in Oregon, where it rains sometimes.

Ignore OP.

Wax your car a couple times a year
Wash it regularly
Spray 303 protectant on the black trim pieces and they won't fade.
Condition leather twice a year.

It is that easy.

[FreedomPenguin]

Got my car 2012 July, it’s 2018 October. It’s a little Scion tC 2013 received in 12
150k miles.

Oil every 10k on the dot
at 80k and again 160k going to get full rotors / brakes and tires. 400 for brake and rotors 600 for tires. Going to change brake fluid this time

At 100k did a service. Coolant. Plugs, filters, changed manual gear lube, oil, etc. that was like 200-300 bucks. Will do again at 200k

Cheap really.all dealer work, except brakes/rotors. I buy the parts from Toyota and my friend at jiffy lube tosses them on for $50 bucks and a pizza


Only thing I’m curious about is it’s a manual, how long clutch will last. Pulls same as it did day 1. Possible to get 250-300k out of a stock clutch?

[joyknights]

I don't think it will last forever, change is inevitable.

[tunafishha]

Lol I have an 08 rx400h as well, absolutely none of the problems you have, and I live in Oregon, where it rains sometimes.
It is that easy.

Dude, water damage is very common on this year RX. They even had an extended warranty for some of the parts. You probably park yours in garage, which is why its not getting any damage.

Only thing I’m curious about is it’s a manual, how long clutch will last. Pulls same as it did day 1. Possible to get 250-300k out of a stock clutch?

I don't know much about manuals. I never owned one. But here's the the thing, the manufacture will give you a maintenance recommendation, which you must follow to a T. They will then tell you to keep following it until you suspect that something is wrong it. That's when you determine if the part needs to be replaced. I highly recommend reading the owners manual.

I don't think it will last forever, change is inevitable.

The car will outlast you if you follow these tips.

[FreedomPenguin]

I’ve followed my cars owner manual to the T. It literally ask for nothing except oil changes 100k maintenance that I did and engine air filter every 60k

Cheapest car ever to maintain. No complaints.

I do 95% highway driving so my car is probably less use of clutch than a year of a city driver honestly.

[tunafishha]

I’ve followed my cars owner manual to the T. It literally ask for nothing except oil changes 100k maintenance that I did and engine air filter every 60k

Cheapest car ever to maintain. No complaints.

I do 95% highway driving so my car is probably less use of clutch than a year of a city driver honestly.

All of these things are internal maintenance. The owners manual does not address the elemental aspect of car damage. Which is why created this thread.

I like the TC, but the only problem I see with it is that its not safe a car if you get into a wreck, as with any sedan. My suv has 1000 pds over a TC. In the event of a wreck, your TC would be pushed back much harder. So you have to consider the savings and safety payoff. The TC would make more sense in the city because the traveling speeds are much lower but it isn't safe for highway driving.

https://www.edmunds.com/car-safety/a...arge-cars.html

I do research on IIHS also so that link is credible. I say that because IIHS is not always reliable for some of the things they test.

[1QWIK7]

Got my car 2012 July, it’s 2018 October. It’s a little Scion tC 2013 received in 12
150k miles.

Oil every 10k on the dot
at 80k and again 160k going to get full rotors / brakes and tires. 400 for brake and rotors 600 for tires. Going to change brake fluid this time

At 100k did a service. Coolant. Plugs, filters, changed manual gear lube, oil, etc. that was like 200-300 bucks. Will do again at 200k

Cheap really.all dealer work, except brakes/rotors. I buy the parts from Toyota and my friend at jiffy lube tosses them on for $50 bucks and a pizza


Only thing I’m curious about is it’s a manual, how long clutch will last. Pulls same as it did day 1. Possible to get 250-300k out of a stock clutch?

I had an old 1992 mazda protege that had the stock clutch with 201k miles on it when i sold it. I miss that car. One of the cleanest, most reliable dailys i ever owned.

But these days cars are only getting better and better, why even want to keep one forever? If you like change, lease your cars. If you don't like losing a chit ton of money, find a car that has good resale value.

If you don't care about any of that, buy any car you like, enjoy it and move on in 4-5 years. Which is what i do.

[MajorTendonitis]

Buy new and don’t lend it out . It will probably outlive you

[SaviorSelfJT]

Also don't ever drink and drive. Not because you might get in an accident, but because you'll sweat out the alcohol and it will get all over the interior of your car. You think water is bad? Your steering wheel and seat will slowly rot from the inside out. The rot will go through your steering column and into your drivetrain then you're done for

[tunafishha]

I had an old 1992 mazda protege that had the stock clutch with 201k miles on it when i sold it. I miss that car. One of the cleanest, most reliable dailys i ever owned.

But these days cars are only getting better and better, why even want to keep one forever? If you like change, lease your cars. If you don't like losing a chit ton of money, find a car that has good resale value.

If you don't care about any of that, buy any car you like, enjoy it and move on in 4-5 years. Which is what i do.

The point of this thread is to show proven techniques to help make a car look and be newer for longer. The resale value of any car depends really on maintenance. This is the ultimate maintenance plan. Its just overall better for everyone involved. That is, for owners, sellers, and on lookers.

bmws have bad resell values because of this type of thinking.

[1QWIK7]

The point of this thread is to show proven techniques to help make a car look and be newer for longer. The resale value of any car depends really on maintenance. This is the ultimate maintenance plan. Its just overall better for everyone involved. That is, for owners, sellers, and on lookers.

bmws have bad resell values because of this type of thinking.

The thread title was how to make your car last forever. I know that's hyperbole but realistically, no one keeps their car for 10 years or more.

Cars are built better than they did 20+ years ago. So a car from the 90s wouldn't last as long in a 5 year time frame with the average owner vs a car built today for a 5 year time frame. Everything is built better. That's the evolution of the automotive industry.

An average car enthusiast will take care of their car to the best of their abilities until it's time to sell. But that's the inevitable, the time they eventually sell it.

So going crazy over the maintenance of your car isn't really necessary. And i'm OCD about my cars and even i can tell you, it's just a car. Use it until you're bored of it. Then move on.

Life is too short to drive and own boring cars. Life is too short to only have a few selected cars because you're too picky on what to buy and want to impress people by getting a "rare" car or driving only 1000 miles a year to "preserve" it.

[sumolgi]

Anymore you'll need to do a periodic frame off just to keep up with technology. Self driving cars and zones where they'll be a requirement are coming and the enthusiast will be relegated to the dirt, the track, and the concourse. My cynical $.02

[1QWIK7]

Anymore you'll need to do a periodic frame off just to keep up with technology. Self driving cars and zones where they'll be a requirement are coming and the enthusiast will be relegated to the dirt, the track, and the concourse. My cynical $.02

We won't see mass self driving cars in our lifetime. I don't even think our kids will see it either. So we don't need to think about that.

I mean when the prius first came out, we all thought electric was the future and it will stomp on the gas powered engines.

Tesla, if you really think about it, is going backwards. Electric is not the future. Hydrogen is.

And self driving cars are no where in sight.

Us car enthusiasts are living in the perfect time frame to enjoy what cars are supposed to be. I'm glad i'll be dead by the time self driving cars and living like robots come around.

[bartosh]

We won't see mass self driving cars in our lifetime. I don't even think our kids will see it either. So we don't need to think about that.

And self driving cars are no where in sight.

I'm going to have to strongly disagree with this. We made INSANE progress in ai, as a whole, in the last decade. The next 40-100 years in ai is going to be pretty nutty. "we don't need to think about that" is either ignorant or disingenuous

Level 4 autonomous driving are already in development by Google/Apple(?)/Ford/Bmw and i'm sure of plenty of others. Tesla has a fraction of the engineers Google has working on car AI and a fraction of the dataset companies like Google have so I wouldn't expect Tesla to be on the forfront.

I'm sure level 5 will be in cars by 2040 (I'm confident by 2030) so mass self driving cars should easily be available within the next decade or two after that.

edit: Ford plans on having level5 self driving by 2021. Even if they are a few years late, progress is going well. https://corporate.ford.com/innovatio...mous-2021.html

[1QWIK7]

I never said the technology isn't there, they just won't be able to implement it in the real world.

There are self driving technology now, with many failures. It was almost 10 years ago when BMW had it as an experiment. Look where it is now, nowhere.

Tesla's idea in moving foward is to take a step back. But that's literally what they did, take a step back. I don't foresee any future in their cars, especially at their cost. Too many drawbacks with not enough reward.

Like i said, we won't see self driving cars in our lifetime. But let's at least hope it's around for the next generation.

[tunafishha]

The thread title was how to make your car last forever. I know that's hyperbole but realistically, no one keeps their car for 10 years or more.

This is becoming a lot more complicated than what im willing to invest my thinking into.

If you want your car to look nice and be damage free then feel free to apply these tips that Ive tested over an 11 year period.

[1QWIK7]

This is becoming a lot more complicated than what im willing to invest my thinking into.

If you want your car to look nice and be damage free then feel free to apply these tips that Ive tested over an 11 year period.

You're talking to a guy who is obsessed in keeping his car clean and trouble free. Trust me i know all the tips you're giving out, plus more that you left out.

In the end what i learned the past 2 decades of owning cars, is that it's just a car.

No matter how much you love it and want to own it forever and ever and ever, it takes about 4-5 years, before you start thinking about upgrading to the next car.

I only had my C7Z for about 2.5 years and i love it to death but i'm anxiously waiting on the next installment of the corvette so i can upgrade to that.

[Redfish225]

Get a new one every 3-4 years.

Silverado loyalty crew.

[1QWIK7]

3-4 years may not seem like a long time with owning a car, especially if you buy a car brand new. But it is.

Unless you have 2 or 3 cars, or depending on your financial status, you will want something else. There are soo many nice cars out there. Cars that 10+ years ago you wouldn't even think about owning one because they suck.

These days every manufacturer has at least 2 cars that are worth buying. So why stick with one car? For as long as 10 years??

Phuck outta here lol. We don't live forever. Use your car for as long as you can, then when you get bored, move onto something new/better/different and enjoy that cycle all over again.

[guest89]

If you buy a new car every 5 years, your spending 24% of your entire life's net worth, the average being $1.4mil, on cars if the car is 40k. That 1/4 of all your money just on cars. No thnx mang

Staying at home and never leaving is a great way to save money. You don't even need a car. For optimal results live in a tent in the woods. 100% savings on housing.